Court orders eviction of protesting monks from Viharamahadevi Park

Friday, 23 October 2026 04:54 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday ordered the eviction of a group of Buddhist monks protesting at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo, with Police announcing the order which triggered a tense situation.

Officers from the Cinnamon Gardens Police, who obtained the order, presented it to the monks, who have been staging a Satyagraha campaign, a form of non-violent protest, demanding a presidential pardon for Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero.

Defying the order, the protesters, who have been camping at the park as part of their ongoing agitation, reiterated that they will not vacate the site until Gnanasara Thero is granted a presidential pardon and released from prison.

Pix by Shehan Gunasekara